wilful departure from this country, no man can insure me that God will not require their blood at my hand. Should my way be hedged up from visiting any particular place, I cannot feel that my humbled soul will be responsible for the eternal consequences upon wretched sinners. With the deepest humility, the language of my conscience is" a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me; necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel." I love the souls which my Lord Jesus Christ hath purchased with his most precious blood. There is no scene so delightful to me through all my travels, as that of seeing multitudes of sinners coming home to God. The congenial element of my soul is a revival of religion. I ask no favours from any man, other than what the love of souls, and Christian courtesy may inspire; nor do I wish an invitation to any town in the kingdom, but on the above principle, -the love of souls. Should either at any time be denied me, I can only weep before the Lord, and still restlessly pursue the great work he has given me to do; and the day I can clearly see my work is finished in these kingdoms, I shall most gladly prepare to sail for America. Next summer I shall take a tour, please God, through France and Italy, for purposes of information, not necessary to mention. I remain, my dear sir, your weak but most affectionate brother in Jesus Christ our Lord,

JAMES CAUGHEY.

P. S. Were it not that I am so well acquainted, by report, with your excellent and fatherly character, I could not have brought my mind to trouble you with such a long letter. I am persuaded, however, your christian candour will lead you to give the motive an interpretation, not unfavourable to your unworthy

brother. Of late I have been very much annoyed by insinuations, coming from various quarters, and letters requesting authority to contradict reports, that I have broken off my connexion with the American church: I hope, should it be thought necessary to insert this communication in the first volume of my letters, you will not consider it any breach of confidence; especially as your name and address shall be withheld.

LETTER XXVI.

TO MY SISTER IN AMERICA.

My dear Sister,

Cork, July 26, 1842.

My work is nearly finished in this City. It gives me great satisfaction to find God's dear people so generally convinced that this is a real revival of religion. I should have left two or three weeks since, but their entreaties to remain a little longer have been overpowering. Awakened sinners too have taken the alarm, and the general cry has been, "surely he will not leave us when he finds himself encompassed by such a crowd of penitent souls." I cannot express the sensations which have swept over my soul in beholding the large communion filled every night with seekers of salvation. Their tears, and sobs, and subdued cries for mercy, have been sometimes profoundly awful! You will no doubt be anxious to know the number of these trophies of Divine love. I cannot state precisely the number

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of persons converted to God. We had a meeting for this purpose three weeks ago,—and nearly two hundred of them present; there were many others, but they were unable to attend that particular meeting, and we have not had a similar one since. The work is still advancing with increasing power. A short account of the above select meeting may be interesting to you.

We had those who have been lately born of the Spirit, "John, iii. 1-8, seated by themselves in the centre seats of the chapel. After a solemn and pointed address, in which their duties, responsibilities, and dangers, were faithfully urged upon their attention, they were called forward to the communion rails. Several important questions were then proposed to them-their names, places of residence, and the leader of their choice, were carefully taken; they then knelt down, and were commended in prayer to the guidance and protection of the Almighty. The congregation, admitted by ticket, then arose, while the young converts remained kneeling, and we sang— "O happy day that fix'd my choice

On thee, my Saviour and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad."

While the last two lines were being sung they retired
to their seats, and another company came forward
and were prayed for and dismissed in the same way,
until all had thus presented themselves at the altar
of God.*

* As the above hymn is not in the American Methodist Hymn Book, it will no doubt gratify you to have it. A verse of this beautiful hymn was sung as each company was departing to their seats. See the 750th hymn in the Wesleyan Hymn Book. It is not necessary to insert it in the printed letter, as it may be seen in the above collection.

The service was most impressive. Many tears were shed by the members of the society, who were seated in the gallery, but especially by the young converts. Such a scene of entire consecration of body, soul, and spirit to the service of God, with such an influence from heaven, many of the oldest saints say they never had witnessed before. Assist me, my dear sister, in praising God for his abounding goodness, "which always causeth me to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his love," by your unworthy brother, "in every place."

I have been contemplating a visit to England for several weeks, and have had many very pressing invitations from the Rev. William Lord, formerly a Wesleyan Missionary in Canada; and were it not for the following circumstance I would sail immediately for that country.

Some weeks since I wrote to Mr. Lord, in Hull, stating that I was nearly ready to leave Ireland, requesting the route to Hull, and where I should find a home on my arrival ? When my letter reached Hull Mr. Lord had gone to the Conference in London. Mrs. Lord forwarded my letter to him, and he wrote to a brother in Hull respecting my intentions; requesting him to write to me in Cork. He then folded my letter inside the one he had written to the friend, and directed the entire to me at Cork. It arrived, and to my surprise I found my own letter returned,—and along with it several good things respecting your brother. I saw at once, it was a mistake, and concluded that Providence desired to retain me in Ireland for a longer time.

Since then I have engaged to visit Bandon,—a pleasant town a few miles from this city. I shall leave for that place on Saturday, the 30th inst. if God permit. And now, my dear sister, I must bid you farewell. Love to A. and to all your dear

family. I cannot conclude this better than in the language of the following verse:—

"And when I bend to that Being on high,

Who ruleth the waters,-whose throne is the sky;
Thou still art remember'd, my sister, and there-
Thy name is breath'd forth in stillness and prayer."

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Those doctrines to which you refer have confused and distracted the minds of many thousands, in America as well as Europe. I am therefore not at all surprised that they have had this effect upon your mind. I sympathize with you. The prejudices of education are strong; sometimes indeed it would appear next to impossible to remove them. encourages my mind however to reflect, that with God there is nothing impossible. No wonder that you "quietly believed these sentiments for a number of years;"-that they gave you no uneasiness whatever." The Spirit of God had not then visited your heart in his awakening power. Those doctrines answered the design of satan well; he desired to keep you at ease in your sins, and he succeeded in lulling you into a dangerous quiet, which would have been